Marriage-à-la-Mode, plate 2

William Hogarth (1697 - 1764)

RA Collection: Art

Engraving reproducing (in reverse) the second of William Hogarth's set of six paintings Marriage A-la-Mode (1743-4, The National Gallery, London). The set, one of Hogarth's 'modern moral subjects', narrates an ill-fated marriage between the son of an impoverished aristocrat, the Earl of Squander, and the daughter of a wealthy City alderman. Hogarth's print Characters and Caricaturas (17/3433) was issued as the subscription ticket to purchasers of the set.

This second plate, 'The Tête à Tête' shows the couple, now married for several months, seated on the left with a yawning servant in the background and the household steward on the right leaving in despair. The scene portrays a poorly-run household and and a disconnect between the young couple.